Tube-welding machine.



No.724,5'61. PATENTED APR. 7, 1903.

H. A. FERGUSSON.

TUBE WELDING MACHINE. APPLICATION rum) 00130. 1902.

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7 TUBE WELDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED 0013.30. 1902.

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No. 724,561. i v I PATENTED APR. 7, 1903.

H. A. FERGUSSON.

TUBE WELDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION 11.39 00130. 1902.

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PATENTED APR. 7, 1903.

H. A; FERGUSSON. TUBE WELDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 30. 1902.

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HENRY A. FERGUSSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

TUBE-WELDING MACHINE.

srnoimcnmon forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,561, dated April 7,1903.

Application filed October 30,1902. Serial No. 129,347. (No model.)

To 'c'l/ZZ whom it may concern;-

Be it known that I, HENRY 'A. FERGUSSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube-Welding Ma- Ichines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tube-welding machines, and hasfor its object to provide a machine for welding together tube-sectionsunder great pressure and making a weld of great strength and of uniformgage with the rest of the tube and whereby the welding may beaccomplished very perfectly, expeditiously, and economically.

To this end my invention consists in the construction, combination, andarrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming .part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine, showing the rollsin normal position when not under pressure. Fig. 2 is a front elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a section on line as a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is asection on line y y of Fig. 1, showing the welding-rolls in weldingposition with a welded tube in place between them.- Fig. 5 is a sectionon line a z of Fig. 2, but showing the parts in the same position as in:Fig. 4 with a welded tube in place between them. Fig. 6 is a plan Viewof the machine. Fig. 7 is a detail showing in plan the lowerwelding-rolls and their supporting-frame. Fig. 8 is a front view of thebifurcated frame for the upper welding-roll with some of the partsremoved. Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section ofv the pillow-blockin which the upper-roll shaft and mandrel-shaft are journaled, and Fig.10 illustrates the way in which the tubes may be lapped before welding.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the bed-plate of themachine,supported upon the legs 2 and 2. Journaled in the pillow-block 3at the rear end of the bed-plate is a mandrel-shaft 4:, driven from anysuitable source of power through the medium of the drivepulley 5,carried by the mandrel-shaft. Also journaled in the pillow-block 3 andarranged substantially parallel with the mandrel-shaft is an upper-rollshaft 6, driven by the mandrel-shaft through the medium of intermeshinggears 7 and 8 upon the mandrel-shaft and upper-roll shaft, respectively.The diameter of the bearing 9 of the upper-roll shaft in thepillow-block 3 increases slightly from its center to each end, so as topermit of a slight angular movement in the upper-roll shaft, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 9. Coupled to the forward end of the mandrel-shaftby a coupling 10 is a mandrel 11, having a bearing in the pillow-block12, which is secured .to the bed-plate and adjustable longitudinallythereon by bolts 13, passing through slots 14 in the bed-plate. Themandrel is enlarged in diameter at its forward end to fit thetubesection to be welded. The pillow-block 12 is made adjustable alongthe mandrel in order that it may be adjusted to the length of thetube-section to be welded.

The forward end of the bed-plate A terminates in brackets 15, extendingbeyond the legs 2. To these brackets is secured a frame 16, carrying atthe top a cylinder 17. Working within the cylinder is a piston 18,having a piston-rod 19 extending down through the lower cylinder-head 20and terminating in a bifurcated cross-head or housing 21. The forward orworking end of the roll-shaft 6 is journaled in roller-bearings 22 inthe sides of the housing 21 and upon it is fixedly mounted between thesides of the housing the upper welding-roller 23.

Extending through openings 24 in the opposite sides of the frame 16 andloosely pivoted therein by pivots 25 are two levers 26. The inner endsof these lovers have pivotal connection 27 with each other and with thesides of the housing 21, and their outer ends are pivotally connectedwith rods 28, extending downwardly through guide-holes 29 in thebrackets 15. The lower portions of the rods are threaded and passthrough holes 30in the lower-roll-carrying plate 31, which extendsacross and in front of the bed-plate beneath the brackets 15. This plateis elastically supported upon the rods 28 by helical springs 32, restingupon nuts 33 upon the rods 28 and is held down against the springs bynuts 34, also on the rods 28. The pressure of the springs may beregulated and the plate adjusted in height by means of the nuts 33 and34. Extending upwardly from the middle of the plate 31 is a web 35,carrying at front and rear transverse flanges 36, connected by parallelbolts or pins 37, preferably two in 'numher and spaced apart, upon whichare rotatably mounted the lower supporting-rollers 38, arranged belowthe mandrel and parallel Ill/h ill.

The piston 18 is actuated to depress the upper welding-roller 23 and itshousing 21 and through the mechanism just described to raise the lowersupporting-rollers 38 by compressed air orother fluid supplied throughthe pipe 39, which leads from any suitable source of supply to the upperpart of the cylinder 17 above the piston. The supply of fluid,preferably compressed air because of its elasticity, is controlled by anordinary three-way valve 40, operated by the foot of the machineoperator by means of the treadle L1, rod 42, and lever 43. The valve hasan outlet +11 open to the atmosphere. The treadle may be provided with aspring 45 to assist in causing the valve-operating mechanism to returnto its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, after the treadle hasbeenreleased. In this position the cylinder and the portion of the pipeabove the valve are cut off from communication with the portion of thepipe below the valve, but are open to communication with the atmospherethrough the valveoutlet 44.

The great pressure attainable in my machine makes it possible to weldthe tube-sections with overlapping unscarfed ends, as illustrated inFig. 10, whereby the weldingjoint is at right angles with the line ofapplication of the power and a weld of much greater strength is securedthan would be possible if the tube ends had to be scarfed and the jointmade diagonal.

As shown in Fig. 10, the tube-sections are prepared for welding bybelling out the end of one section 46 sufliciently to allow the end ofthe other section 47 to be inserted therein a short distance to form alap or joint 48 substantially parallel with the axis of the tube. \Vitha joint of this kind it is possible to reduce the lap to a length hardlygreater than the thickness of the tube-walls. The reduction of the lapnot only saves material, but insures more perfect welding in thismachine. The joint is then heated to welding temperature and thetube-sections are slipped over the mandrel until the end of the shortersection abuts against the face of the pillow-block 12, which has beenpreviously adjusted so that the joint will be brought directly beneaththe center of the welding-roller The tube-sections resting upon themandrel will at once he carried around with it. The treadle is thendepressed to operate the valve 40 to establish communication between theupper part of the cylinder 17 and the source of compressed-air supply.The pressure of the air entering the cylinder forces down the piston 18,and with it the cross-head or hous ing 21, carrying the rotating upperroller 23 down against the tube. As this roller is larger in diameterthan the mandrel, and

therefore has a greater peripheral velocity, it

will turn the tube-sections around the mandrel with greater speed thanthe mandrel itself, and the mandrel will exert a wiping effect on theinside of the tube to wipe the weld smooth. The cross-head 21 in itsdescent at the same time depresses the inner ends of the levers 26,thereby raising the outer ends of these levers, and with them the rods28 and plate 31, and carrying the lower rollers 38 up against the underside of the tube-joint, these rollers having been previously adjusted soas not quite to touch the tube when the upper roll 23 first touches thejoint to be welded. The purpose of this adjustment is to enable theupper or active roller to act upon the joint and exert its rotativeeffect thereon a little in advance of the engagement of the lower orpassive rollers therewith. It will be seen that the pressure of theactive roller 23 upon the tube-joint is thus applied around the entirecircumference of the joint, compressing the overlapping ends of thetube-sections into one practically homogeneous tube-wall of the samethickness as the rest of the tube. This result is accomplished not onlyby the great pressure exerted upon the joint, but by having the lowerrollers 38 of considerably greater length than the upper roller or theheated portion of the tube-sections, so that the ends of the rollerswill press against the cooler metal, which will not yield to theirpressure, thus preventing the welded portion from being made thinnerthan the rest of the tube. The lower supporting-rollers 38, which aremoved upward against the underside of the tube by the same mechanismwhich forces the upper welding-roller 23 down against the upper side ofthe tube, relieve the mandrel of the strain to which it would otherwisebe subjected by the downward pressure of the roller 23 and make possiblethe use of much greater pressure than the m and rel alone would support,and by elastically supporting the lower-roll-carrying plate 31 upon thesprings 32 1 am enabled to avoid the strain upon the roll-carryingmembers and the bending or breaking of parts, which might otherwiseresult from an inexact adjustment of the rollers with reference to themandrel. When the welding is completed, the treadle 41 is released toallow the valve -10 and its operating mechanism to return by the weightof the parts or under the action of the spring 45 to their normalposition, as shown in Fig. 1, cutting off the supply and establishingcommunication between the cylinder and atmosphere through the outlet44:. The pressure is thus released from the top of the piston and theroll-carrying parts allowed to return to their normal position, (shownin Figs. 2 and 3), the weight of these parts being preferably sodistributed as to accomplish this without the use of other means.

My improved machine is particularly useful in welding boiler-fines, butis adaptedfor use generally in welding together tube-sections, weldingcollars upon tubes, and the like.

I do not limit myself to the exact mechanism shown and described, forthe same may be modified in detail without departing from the principleof my invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 1 l. A tube-welding machine, comprising, incombination, a mandrel, a housing adjacent thereto, an activewelding-roller having journalsupport in said housing upon one side ofthe mandrel, means for rotating said roller and means for moving thehousing toward and away from the mandrel, and passive supporting-rollersarranged upon the opposite side of the mandrel and operatively connectedwith said housing so as to be movable there- 'with, but in an oppositedirection.

2. A tube-welding machine, comprising, in combination, a mandrel, anactive rotatablysupported welding-roller upon one side of the mandrel,means for rotating said roller and means for moving said roller towardand away from the mandrel, elastically-supported passive rollers uponthe opposite side of the mandrel, and lever connection between theactive and passive rollers whereby the passive rollers are carriedtoward and away from the mandrel in unison with the active roller.

3. A tube-welding machine, comprising, in combination, a mandrel, ahousing adjacent thereto, a welding-roller having journal-support insaid housing upon one side of the mandrel, means for rotating saidroller, a pair of suitably-supported levers pivotally connected withsaid housing, a pair of supporting-rollers pivotally supported by said.

levers upon the opposite side of the mandrel, and means for depressingand raising said housing whereby the welding-roller. and thesupporting-rollers 'are moved in unison, but in opposite directions,toward and away from the mandrel.

4. A'tube-welding machine, comprising, in combination, a mandrel, ahousing adjacent thereto, a roll-shaft journaled at its inner end insuitable bearings and at its outer end in said housing, a welding-rollercarried by said shaft near its outer end upon one side of the mandrel,supporting-rollers arranged upon the opposite side of the mandrel, leverconnection between said housing and supportingrollers, and means formoving said housing and the therewith -connected welding and supportingrollers toward and away from the mandrel.

5. Atube-welding machine, comprising, in combination, a mandrel, ahousing adjacent thereto, a roll-shaft journaled at its inner end insuitable bearings and at its outer insaid housing, a welding-rollercarried by said shaft near its outer end upon one side of themancombination, a mandrel, a housing adjacent thereto, a Welding-rollerhaving journal-support in said housing, a pair of levers suitablyfulcrumed between their ends, the inner ends of the lovers beingpivotally connected with said housing, supporting-rollers elasticallysupported from the outer ends of the levers and positioned upon theopposite side of the mandrel, means for rotating said weldingroller, andmeans for depressing and raising said housing whereby the welding andsupporting rollers are moved in unison toward and away from the mandrel.

'7. A tube-welding machine, comprising, in combination, a mandreladapted for insertion into a tube-section to be welded, a swingingshaft, a welding-roller carried by said shaft upon one side of themandrel, supportingrollers rotatably mounted upon fixed pins on theother side of the mandrel, and commonlyactuated means for moving all ofsaid rollers toward and away from the mandrel.

8. A tube-welding machine, comprising, in combination, a mandrel adaptedfor insertion into a tube-section to be welded, a swinging roll-shaftupon one side of the mandrel and a roller carried by the shaft,elastically-mounted rollers upon the other side of the mandrel, andmeans to move all of said rollers in nnison against the tube-section tobe welded.

9 A tube-welding machine, comprising, in combination, a mandrel adaptedfor insertion into a tube-section to be welded, a swinging shaft, awelding-roller carried by the shaft upon one side of the mandrel,oppositely-disposed rollers arranged upon the other side of the mandrel,means to rotate the swinging shaft, and pneumatic means for movingall ofsaid rollers toward the tube-section to be welded and into pressingengagement therewith.

10. A tube-welding machine, comprising, in combination, a rotatablemandrel adapted for insertion into a tube-section to be Welded, aswinging shaft and a welding-roller carried by the shaft upon one sideof the mandrel,

said roller being larger in diameter than the mandrel,oppositely-disposed rollers arranged upon the other side of the mandrel,means to rotate the swinging shaft, and means for moving all of saidrollers in unison toward a tube section to be welded, and into pressingengagement therewith.

11. A tube-welding machine, comprising, in combination, a rotatablemandrel adapted for insertion into a-tube-seetion to be welded, aswinging shaft and means to rotate the same, a welding-roller carried bysaid shaft upon one side of the mandrel, said roller being larger indiameter than the mandrel, oppositely-disposed rollers elasticallysupported at the other side of the mandrel, means to rotate the swingingshaft, and means for moving all of said rollers in unison against theperiphery of the tube-section to be welded.

12. Atube-weldingmaohine,comprising,in combination, a mandrel, an activeweldingroller arranged on one side of the mandrel, passive rollersarranged on the other side of the mandrel, the passive rollers being ofgreater length than the active roller for the purpose specified, andcommonly-actuated means for moving all of said rollers toward themandrel.

13. A tube-welding machine, comprising, in combination, a mandreladapted for insertion Within a tube to be welded, an activeweldingroller'disposed on one side of the mandrel, passive rollersdisposed on the other side of the mandrel, the passive rollers being ofgreater length than the heated portion of the tube to be welded, andinterconnected means for moving all of said rollers toward the tube andinto pressing engagement therewith.

14. A tube-Welding machine, comprising, in combination, a mandrel, ahousing adjacent thereto, a roll-shaft swingingly jonrnaled in suitablebearings at its inner end and also journaled at its outer end in thesides of said housing, a welding roller carried by said shaft at itsouter end, and above the mandrel, a frame about the mandrel and housing,a pair of levers pivotally supported in the opposite sides of the frame,the inner ends of the lovers being pivotally connected with each otherand with the housing, a support suspended from the outer ends of thelevers, rollers carried by said support below the mandrel, and means forthrusting said housing downwardly, whereby the upper roller is moveddown and the lower rollers are simultaneously moved up.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. FERGUSSON.

Witnesses:

A. E. HARN, ARTHUR P. LO'lHROP.

